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6 months Stranger anxiety
8 months Separation from parent, falling
1 year Separation from parent, noises, animals, bath, doctor
2 years Separation from parent, toilet training, bath, bedtime, doctor
3 years Loss of parent, toilet training, bedtime, monsters and ghosts, anyone who
lo
oks different than family, e.g., disability, beard, different skin color, etc.
4 years Noises, animals, bedtime, monsters and ghosts, people who look different than family, loss of parent, death, divorce
5 years Noises, animals, monsters and ghosts, getting lost, going to daycare, loss of parent, death, injury, divorce
Most Common Early Childhood Fears
Chart adapted from When Your Child Is Afraid by Schachter & McCauley
What to avoid when dealing with your child’s fears…
• Try not to tell your child that she will
be a “big girl” when she overcomes
the fear. This puts too much pressure
on her.
• Offer understanding of the fear.
For example, say, “Loud noises, like
thunder, can be scary.”
• Provide helpful information about
the feared item or situation. “Dogs
bark because that is how they ‘talk’
and sometimes they bark a lot when
they are happy to see someone.”
• Read a special book, like There’s a
Nightmare in My Closet by Mercer
Mayer, and talk about the feared
object or situation.
• Help your child approach fears at her
own pace, which will probably
be slow. For example, allowing her to
decide when to put her face under
water when swimming gives her a
sense of control and less fear.
• Closely monitor what your child
watches on TV. Many programs and
movies are too intense for young
children and may encourage fear.
Helping children when they get shots…
Getting shots can be scary and pain-ful. Children can feel less fear and pain if they are treated in a positive and comforting way before, during
Fears are a normal part of childhood and are typical at certain ages. Fear is real to your child which means that it needs to be taken seri­ously. Like adults, when children feel a sense of control they are less fearful. Some fears develop with indepen­dence. For example, when a child begins to walk and understands she can leave mom, she realizes mom can leave as well. A child’s surroundings can increase fears-unfamiliar places, crowds, shadows from night lights, etc. Sometimes a child’s fear is based on a lack of knowledge. “The water goes down the drain, so I might dis-appear down the drain.”
Often, a child’s fears are the same as the parent’s. Fears can be increased by a parent’s reaction or comments. For example, if a parent screams at the sight of a spider, the child will likely do the same. Children take what you say literally-“The police- man will get you if you don’t stay in your car seat,” or when a stranger says, “You’re so cute that I’m going to take you home with me.” Be care­ful about referring to death as sleep because this may cause children to be afraid to go to sleep.

6 months Stranger anxiety
8 months Separation from parent, falling
1 year Separation from parent, noises, animals, bath, doctor
2 years Separation from parent, toilet training, bath, bedtime, doctor
3 years Loss of parent, toilet training, bedtime, monsters and ghosts, anyone who
lo
oks different than family, e.g., disability, beard, different skin color, etc.
4 years Noises, animals, bedtime, monsters and ghosts, people who look different than family, loss of parent, death, divorce
5 years Noises, animals, monsters and ghosts, getting lost, going to daycare, loss of parent, death, injury, divorce
Most Common Early Childhood Fears
Chart adapted from When Your Child Is Afraid by Schachter & McCauley
What to avoid when dealing with your child’s fears…
• Try not to tell your child that she will
be a “big girl” when she overcomes
the fear. This puts too much pressure
on her.
• Offer understanding of the fear.
For example, say, “Loud noises, like
thunder, can be scary.”
• Provide helpful information about
the feared item or situation. “Dogs
bark because that is how they ‘talk’
and sometimes they bark a lot when
they are happy to see someone.”
• Read a special book, like There’s a
Nightmare in My Closet by Mercer
Mayer, and talk about the feared
object or situation.
• Help your child approach fears at her
own pace, which will probably
be slow. For example, allowing her to
decide when to put her face under
water when swimming gives her a
sense of control and less fear.
• Closely monitor what your child
watches on TV. Many programs and
movies are too intense for young
children and may encourage fear.
Helping children when they get shots…
Getting shots can be scary and pain-ful. Children can feel less fear and pain if they are treated in a positive and comforting way before, during
Fears are a normal part of childhood and are typical at certain ages. Fear is real to your child which means that it needs to be taken seri­ously. Like adults, when children feel a sense of control they are less fearful. Some fears develop with indepen­dence. For example, when a child begins to walk and understands she can leave mom, she realizes mom can leave as well. A child’s surroundings can increase fears-unfamiliar places, crowds, shadows from night lights, etc. Sometimes a child’s fear is based on a lack of knowledge. “The water goes down the drain, so I might dis-appear down the drain.”
Often, a child’s fears are the same as the parent’s. Fears can be increased by a parent’s reaction or comments. For example, if a parent screams at the sight of a spider, the child will likely do the same. Children take what you say literally-“The police- man will get you if you don’t stay in your car seat,” or when a stranger says, “You’re so cute that I’m going to take you home with me.” Be care­ful about referring to death as sleep because this may cause children to be afraid to go to sleep.